Apparatus for placing roof deck slabs



April 25, 1961 H. E. CASEY 2,981,426

APPARATUS FOR PLACING ROOF DECK SLABS Filed June 12, 1958 v I l 0/ if. y16 fi i 5/1 i m HTTO RIVE Y8 Z m/AM United States Patent 2,981,426APPAFRATUS FOR PLACING noon DECK SLABS My invention relates to apparatusfor transporting and locating slabs or sheets, for example, in theformation of a roof deck, etc. More particularly, this invention relatesto an apparatus which can perform these operations in such locationsthat the said slabs or sheets may be placed upon spaced apart supportingmembers such as roof joists, which have an open space between them,without jeopardizing the operator.

This device may be generally referred to as a dolly and has beensuccessfully demonstrated in the installation of roof deck.

Prior to my invention it was necessary to employ a crew of men or acrane to place deck slabs, which usually weigh 40 pounds or more perunit, with undue hazards of personal injuries to the workers or damageto the deck slabs when working over open framework such as positionedsteel roof members.

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I portions 15 and horizontal portions 16. This apparatus My invention isunique in that it enables a single workman to pick up, transport andplace in position a slab or sheet of considerable weight. One object ofmy invention, among others is to provide a method of installing roofdeck without the use of a crane or subjecting the worker to the dangerof working over open beams or framework.

In general my invention consists of a tubular frame supported by twowheels' The frame at the front end cantilevers out over the wheels andis so designed to extend across a slab or sheet and engage the outerside edge portions, i.e., the edge portion remote from the operator. Bypressing down on the handles of the apparatus, the slab or section islifted and may be wheeled to its point of installation. In theinstallation of roof deck, the wheels roll on the deck alreadyinstalled.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus illustrating thesuspension of a roof deck slab over the ,open area of the supportingbeams and ready for positioning;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the slab in position and about to bedisengaged from the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an end view illustrating the construction of the apparatus andthe adjusting means to permit the use of the device for positioningslabs of differing thickness; and t Fig. 4 is an enlargedcross-sectional view of the adjustable holding mechanism.

With particular reference to Fig. 1, the device consists of a main framecomprised of support members or side bars 10 and 11 which may be made ofmetal or other type of tubing of a light weight but strong alloy. Thesemembers 10 and 11 are bound together by the crossmembers 12 and 13 andmay be made of the same material. The upper end of the frame members 10and 11 which extends behind the wheels 14 is of such length as toprovide the operator with sufficient leverage to pick up slabs ofconsiderable weight and withgreat ease. The lower end of this apparatusconstitutes the holding mechanism for the slabs and is provided bybending the frame members 10 and 11 to form substantially vertical maybe constructed either by bending frame members 10 and 11 to form theportions 15 and 16 or in any other manner such as by welding togetherindividual pieces to form approximately the same U-shaped structure.

With reference to Fig. 3, rigidity of the frame is accomplished byproviding, in addition to members 12 and 13, parallel members 23, 24 and25 which join the side bars 10 and 11 together.

Wheels 14 are mounted on a common axle 31 supported by the extensions 32and 33 of the frame members 10 and 11. The wheels are free running onthe axle 31 and they are provided with an exterior surface or tires ofrubber or some material which will not damage the slabs 35 previouslylaid and subsequently used as a footing or floor.

The axle or fulcrum 31 for the wheels 14 is spaced from the slab holdingend of the frame a distance conducive to providing great leverage whenforce is applied to the member 25 at the opposite end of the framemembers 10 and 11. With the application of such force to member 25 theframe will be tilted about the fulcrum 31 raising the contact members 38and 39 and the slab 35. This raising motion will permit the slab 35 totilt on the pad 38, due to the overhang of the major portion of theslab, until its inner end and surface 50 contacts the pad 39. Thiscontact will automatically lock the.

slab 35 in this contact position until such time as the weight of theoverhanging portion thereof is relieved by positioning upon one of theroof supports 53.

From the preceding, it should be apparent that the subject device is inthe form of a simple or first class lever and arranged at one end toutilize the weight of the object to be lifted as the force for retainingthe object upon the lever.

The slab 35 is held by the apparatus as shown in Fig. 4. The slabsupport jaws 36 and 37 are covered with resilient padding 38 and 39. Theresilient member 38 is stationary, being firmly attached to the metalplate 36, whereas the resilient member 39 is arranged to be raised orlowered with the adjusting screws 40 which are positioned along thelength of the bracket 42. The resilient member 39 may take the form oftwo separate pads positioned under and attached to the screws 40 or itmaybe a separate pad which may extend through the full width and lengthof the member 42. The member 42 is provided with two lugs 45 extendingin a horizontal plane and threaded to allow vertical travel of the jaws37 on the adjusting screws 40. Two holes 43 are provided in thehorizontal section of the member 42 to allow the jaws 37 of the screws40 to pass through the member 42 and provide the adjustable contactbetween the resilient members 38 and 39 and the top and bottom faces 50and 51 of the slab 35.

When used as an apparatus to install roof deck, my invention results ina new and unique method of installation. The dolly is wheeled up to theslab 35 and the holding end of the apparatus is lowered to a positionpermitting the support member 38 to be brought underneath the furtheredge of the slab. The worker then pulls the dolly toward the slab,causing it to slide in between the pieces of resilient material 38 and39. The outer edge of the slab will now be firmly against the plate 46and by pressing down on the handles 10 and 11, which are long enough togive great leverage, the slab 35 will be lifted and may be wheeled tothe then existing edge of the roof.

By means of this unique cantilever design a condition is providedwherein the lower face of the deck slab 51 rests on the pad or resilientmember 38, thus causing the major portion of the weight of the slab tooverhang 3 the pad 38 and tilting the slab under leverage of its ownweight into contact with the resilient member 39. This will lock theslab in this, loaded position. The slab, thussupported, is positionedover the open area of the roof as shown in Fig. 1, then, as shown inFig. 2,, the Worker reverses the direction of. movement, bringing theinside edge of the slab 35 nearest tohim into contact with the lastpiece of roof deck laid in that area, The dolly is then tilted about theaxle 31 whereby the slab 35 is lowered, bringing the under side 51 intocontact with the roof supporting member 53. The partial support. givenby the member 53 reverses the tilt of the slab and reverses the leveragecontact pressure on the slab 35 and between the two resilient members 38and 39 as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. A sudden push of theapparatus away from slab 35 will now free it from the members 38 and 39and leave it positioned upon the members 53 and thereby extendingthelaid roof.

Thus a progressive laying of roof slabs 35 may be accomplished withoutthe need of the worker subjecting himself to unnecessary risks orhazards.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of theappended claim.

I claim:

Apparatus for transporting and placing deck slabs in the forming of aroof or floor structure, comprising a wheeled, open elongated frameincluding a pair of spaced parallel side bars, a substantially U-shapedholder formed as an extension of each side bar at one end thereof, saidholders being spaced apart transversely of the frame, and each having anopen end facing in the direction of the other end of the frame, avertically disposed, elongated plate extending between and fixed to saidholders, a right angle bracket extending between said 35 g aesmaeholders and being fixed at its ends to said holders, said bracket havingthe vertical portion thereof connected to said side bars and thehorizontal portion thereof connected to the base of the U-shapedportion, said horizontal portion having a plurality of openings formedtherein, a plurality of lugs connected to said vertical portion of saidbracket, overlying said openings in said horizontal portion, and havingfemale threads therein vertically aligned with said openings, a maleadjusting screw threaded through each said lug, an upper slab supportjaw connected to the lower end of eaczh said screw and adapted to extendinto and through an opening in said horizontal portion, a resilient padattachi ed to the bottom surface of each support jaw, a loweraslabsupport jaw extending between the ends of each S iai holder, said lowerjaw being spaced vertically below said upper jaw a distance exceedingthe thickness of slab and spaced inwardly of said upper jaw, and aresilient pad covering said lower jaw for contact with the bottomsurface of said slab, both jaws having a slab width spanning length lessthan one-half the width of said slab.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,376,446 Lightner et al May 3, 1921 1,836,362 Crowley Dec. 15, 19312,433,754 Belko Dec. 30, 1947 2,626,176 Braun Ian. 20, 1953 2,693,386Renfroe Nov. 2, 1954 2,763,388 Olsson Sept. 18, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS729,326 Great Britain May 4, 1955

